Woof! San Francisco's dogs get their own food truck

Dogs and their owners in San Francisco have a moveable feast to chase, in the form of a food truck catering exclusively to customers of the four-legged variety.

More than 300 dog owners, accompanied by their pets of course, descended on Marina Green park by the San Francisco Bay on June 27 for the debut of the so-called Treat Truck and its array of complimentary canine goodies.

Touted as the Bay Area’s first mobile food truck for dogs, it’s a promotional gimmick by San Francisco-based pet treat company Milo’s Kitchen. "Milo’s Kitchen is all about dogs being an equal part of the family, so we thought if people get to enjoy food trucks, why can’t dogs enjoy a treat truck?" said company spokeswoman Chrissy Trampedach.

Hungry? Milo's Kitchen, a San Francisco-based dog treats company has joined the dog food trucks trend with its own Treat Truck that will tour the US this summer. But human owners please eat before you turn up at the truck. Only dogs will be served.

The truck is travelling to 16 cities across the country through the end of August, with stops in Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Chicago, Detroit and Pittsburg, she said. In addition to free samples from Milo’s Kitchen product line, the vehicle also travels with a canine-ready photo booth, a lounge with sofas for socialising and plenty of drinking bowls, bones, tennis balls and doggie beds.

"It’s like a dog park, but a different way to socialise," said Ayana Todd, 32, who showed up with her pet, a Chihuahua- Jack Russell terrier mix named Dolce. But hungry dog owners were advised to grab human meals beforehand. "The treats are really focused on the dog tonight," Trampedach said.

Food trucks catering to dogs have previously sprung up in other US cities — including Chicago-based Fido-To-Go, which sells 'gourmutt' food, and Phydough, the gourmet dog cookie and ice cream truck that operates in Los Angeles — but Treat Truck is a first for San Francisco.

The number of dogs living in San Francisco is believed to surpass the number of children, due in large part to the escalating costs of living there. An estimated 120,000 dogs inhabit the city, compared with roughly 110,000 children, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. — Reuters